# How to smoke a flake



## Bridges (Jan 6, 2008)

Okay so I read the advice on the MacBeron website about how to smoke a flake. I picked up a tin of University Flake from Peterson. Opened it up smelled it. (Reminiscient of Red Man IMO) I was really looking forward to it. Then I tried to load my pipe. I found it difficult and frustrating to use the method on macberon's website. I ended up dumping it out rubbing it out and reloading it. Then I started getting a gurgling noise. Is there a secret to this? Should I get the guy at the B&M to show me how? I wasn't really sold on flakes from my first experience.


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## wharfrathoss (Dec 27, 2006)

had the same problem-i looked at the same website & tried the same tobac for my 1st flake-1st thing i learned was to dry the flake a bit-that may help get rid of the gurgle you mentioned-the way mac b's shows to pack worked for me, i just sprinkled some loose bits of rubbed out flake on top for tinder-it is harder to get lit, but seems to burn cooler & stay lit longer-i tried both rubbed out & fold/stuff, i think i got more flavor in flake form-don't give up, it's worth it, that's one of my favorite tobacs ya got there-hope this helps


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## Bridges (Jan 6, 2008)

wharfrathoss said:


> had the same problem-i looked at the same website & tried the same tobac for my 1st flake-1st thing i learned was to dry the flake a bit-that may help get rid of the gurgle you mentioned-the way mac b's shows to pack worked for me, i just sprinkled some loose bits of rubbed out flake on top for tinder-it is harder to get lit, but seems to burn cooler & stay lit longer-i tried both rubbed out & fold/stuff, i think i got more flavor in flake form-don't give up, it's worth it, that's one of my favorite tobacs ya got there-hope this helps


So there's still hope. I was a little disheartened because I was able to get the hang of ribbon cut pretty easily, but flake gives me trouble. I'll keep trying.:tu


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

takes practice and there are many ways to pack a flake tobacco.
keep in mind, it's just tobacco that's pressed, it just so happens that a lot of really great tobaccos come in some sort of flake "presentation".

i'm not much for the "roll/stuff" method, because i want my tobacco to light and stay that way, i don't want to fight it.
so i normally rub it out, but not all the way, i like thick cuts left.

hell, somtimes i break out a little scissors, cut the flake in lengths that equal the depth of the bowl, lay them on top of each other (grain going the same direction - up and down), then i roll the tobacco together between my palms. after it breaks up a little bit, i pinch it together with my fingers to try and hold it into a round shape and slide it into the bowl.
it's very similar to the roll/stuff method, but it breaks it up a bit first.

you really do get more intense flavors with leaving it as close to flake form as possible, but it also become way more difficult (in my experience) to keep lit.

and there are times when i just cut the flake (or pull it apart) in strips equal to the lenght of ribbon cut i prefer, then i just rub it out until it becomes ribbon cut.

also, if the lfake is really easy to bend, then it may be too moist to smoke at that time, which may cause your gurgle (or it could be a poorly drilled pipe). so, rub it or pack it when it's still moist enough to maneuver, then let it dry.
either way, gurgle is a minor annoyance, just take a pipe cleaner, stick it down the bit until it hits the bottom of the bowl, leave it there a couple seconds, soak up the moisture in the bit and bottom, and you're good to go.

it also wouldn't hurt to watch someone do it a few times, in person, who knows how to pack a bowl. so, going to the B&M might not be a bad idea.
i watched that macbaren video, and i've never been able to pack a flake like that in my life. 

practice. like i've said, pipe smoking takes skill and to get that way takes plenty of practice. any moron can smoke a cigar, you just cut the head, add flame to the foot, and puff.


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## Will_S (Jan 2, 2008)

When I smoke a flake (and that is about all I have smoked in a pipe in some time) I just rub it out and let it dry crispy, gravity pack, tap, light, let it go out, light, tamp and smoke.

Of course around here the average RH is around 70% anyway, but the above is the method I use. I also experimented with the fold and stuff method and found it didnt work as well for me. Fold and stuff can also give you a bowl that lasts a really long time. If you want to fold and stuff you might want to let the flakes dry for a while first. If you are getting gurgles that is probably an indication that you are either packing too tight, smoking too fast, or your tobac is too wet. Could be a combination of those factors too.


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## Thillium (Jan 14, 2008)

I just smoked a MacBerons blend, Navy Flake, I tried folding it, didn't work, I tired balling it, didn't work, so I just rubbed it and then packed it like a normal bowl, worked alright, maybe because it was a new pipe though so I could only smoke half of it. After I break this bowl in hopefully it will improve.


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## Guest (Feb 12, 2008)

I'm of the fold and stuff camp and it took a lot of practice to get where i am with flakes. The one thing that got me going in the right direction was using the right amount of flake for my bowl. Flakes expand big time under heat and if you stuff too much in a bowl you're just going to block yourself from enjoying your pipe. 

My take on the flake
Doing the two whole flakes crossed was too much for me so i paired it down to a flake and a half or a quarter. So crossing those and twisted in to the bowl without pushing the whole plug to the bottom, if anything is too over the top of the bowl i start to puck ribbons til its about right which gives me a nice surface to light.

That's:2


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## SAjunidog (Oct 1, 2007)

IHT said:


> so i normally rub it out, but not all the way, i like thick cuts left.


Are we talking thick cuts as in straight from the can CC (or at least CC '07), or finer (like HOTW), or less rubbed? Personally I usually don't want to fight with it at all, and prefer to rub stuff all the way out (even HOTW which many people seem to leave untouched). Its just such a pain to get stuff lit and keep it going evenly (I find it harder with a broken flake like CC, at least once you get a full flake going it'll stay even-ish) that I'd rather rub all the way out. I guess I'll have to give full flakes another chance, especially with the tinder-method (ie. using rubbed out tobak ontop of chincky flakes) once I get over my cold.


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## Don Fernando (Jan 1, 2000)

I rub it out as well. I'll toss a few of the larger flakes after rubbing it out, into the bottom of the bowl....then try to pinch the rest of the rub together to pack into the bowl....and then, whatever dust is left over goes on top as kindling. The larger flakes at the bottom act as a bit of a bridge, allowing air to get underneith the packed upper portion & thus seems to burn & draw better for me.

I've never been able to lust fold it & stuff it like some do and keep it lit ... whenever I try this I am constantly fighting the pipe.


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## solafid3 (Jul 4, 2006)

I used to do the fold and pack, but it always seems wetter than I want it to be when I stuff it; even when I let it sit for a while. So instead, I rub it out roll into a little compressed ball and pack it. That's how I get both my flakes and broken flakes going now.


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## bilder (Oct 23, 2006)

Just tried my first flake over the weekend- 1792.

I had many relights during my smoke and thought I had done something wrong. But from what I have read, multiple relights are not uncommon with flake when compared to ribbon cut.

I will keep trying and I am sure that I will see improvement as my methods get better.


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## ShawnP (Oct 18, 2005)

When I smoke flake I usually roll the flake into a circle then stuff it into the upper portion of the bowl. If the tobacco is not to wet then keeping lit isn't an issue for me.

I think as with all tobacco and packing methods one must keep trying and practice practice practice. Experiment with the roll flake because if you manage to pack it right and keep it lit the flavor will reward you 


Also maybe try a different flake not all blends pack and light the same.


Shawn p


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

SAjunidog said:


> Are we talking thick cuts as in straight from the can CC (or at least CC '07), or finer (like HOTW), or less rubbed? Personally I usually don't want to fight with it at all, and prefer to rub stuff all the way out (even HOTW which many people seem to leave untouched). Its just such a pain to get stuff lit and keep it going evenly (I find it harder with a broken flake like CC, at least once you get a full flake going it'll stay even-ish) that I'd rather rub all the way out. I guess I'll have to give full flakes another chance, especially with the tinder-method (ie. using rubbed out tobak ontop of chincky flakes) once I get over my cold.


oh, i normally rub my flakes ALL the way out, even more fine than HOTW.
only sometimes do i leave them in larger strips like HOTW (you nailed it, btw). 
i have NEVER, and will never, just stuff mcclellands broken flakes (like Christmas Cheer), i have no clue how anyone would fill their pipe with that - all those pockets of air, etc. and then getting/keeping it lit... damn hard to do (for me).

so, i think we're on the same page. i enjoy rubbing the flakes out to the thickness i prefer (somewhere between HOTW and ribbon).

lastly, with HOTW and Old Gowrie (and McConnells Scottish Cake - another KK tobac i love), i just leave them the thickness they come (in their ready rubbed form). i have never had issues with their burning before though.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

I always rub out flakes, sometimes ultra-fine, sometimes course. Normally you have to humor the tabak you're rubbing out and find the way that works best for it. The finer it rubs out, the more lightly you pack it. That's what works for me anyway


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## hyper_dermic (Dec 17, 2006)

took me a LONG time to learn how to smoke whole flakes with the fold n' stuff method.
Now that i finally got the hang of it, its my preferred method for Whole Flakes. Its simpler to pack.. just "fold n stuff"
It burns slower and cooler.
Good for smoking outside, as you have less chance of the wind torching your pipe.
learning how to properly pack the flake is the easy part.
The hard part is getting the right breath control to keep the flakes lit. Once you find the right rythem its only sightly harder (than a fully rubbed blend) to keep lit.

With broken flakes i like to keep some very coarse/whole, some i rub out fully, and some i rub out just a little bit. Then i take the various states of tobacco and mix them all up. Finally i top it with some fully rubbed. This mixture smokes easily, yet still retains some flake qualities.

Keep trying different styles and eventually you will get the hang of em. 
Oh, and since flakes hold their moisture more, let them dry out a bit longer... espicelly if your pipe is gurgling. you can also run a pipe cleaner down to soak up the mositure, and it probably wouldnt hurt to slow your pace down a good bit.
=)

-hyp


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## BigKev77 (Feb 16, 2008)

How about someone do a youtube video on how to smoke a flake. I would check it out.
You would be *WORLD FAMOUS*!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:gn:chkDANCE!!


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## SR Mike (Feb 4, 2008)

All this is advice is great!! I enjoy flake a lot. I never really thought about how I pack it into the bowl. I just take a few strips folded together, ruffle one end so it looks like Buckwheat's head. I set it in my pipe with the Buckwheat's end sticking out the top, I lightly tamp it down to even it with the rim of the bowl and then light it up. I try not to think about it.


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